I mean, I’m no prude and I can stand to watch all sorts of different types of videos on the internet, but this one crossed the line with me. With its outlandish colors, intense slow-mo effects, and dildos gratuitous pumping I knew that I was about to see something I might never unsee.
That said, I figured there would be no harm in checking it out, and so I mustered up my guts and then took the plunge. The video went something like this: a diddled-up bodybuilder would come onto the scene, attach a pump to their penis, and then get it going until it was as hard as a rock.
Once that was completed they’d then take off the pump and play with the new rod they had acquired for a few minutes. Then after a few minutes, they’d attach the pump and go through the whole process again. Not exactly scintillating stuff, but still it was oddly mesmerizing in a perverse and sick way.
Regardless of how bizarre this all was, I felt that I needed to step back and think about the psychology behind it. This certainly wasn’t just an ordinary comes-with-the-package sex video. Instead, I had stumbled upon a much deeper and much more sinister story.
There was this primal desire to be macho and to become big and strong in some way, even if the only way to do so was to take advantage of a few vacuum pumps in a dark room. In essence, I was witnessing a man’s craving and desperation to contravene his own masculinity as he flaunted his “pumped-up” hardware.
The craziest thing was that, dildos despite all that I’d seen, a part of me still couldn’t help being somewhat turned on by the display. As unnatural and sick as it was, I found myself surprisingly aroused by the sight of these pumped-up bodybuilders showing off their wares. It was a weird and dirty sensation, but there I was, feeling it just the same.
Now here’s the second part of the story. After I’d had my little perverted moment, I knew that I’d never be able to let it go without understanding the appeal. I figured that if these body destroyers were so eager to pump themselves up, there had to be some kind of payoff other than simply instant gratification.
So I returned to the website the next day to do some digging, and I came across a fascinating article analyzing the psychological motivations of those who make and view bodybuilder penis pump sex videos. The author touched on a few important points, such as the need for a sense of power, control, and domination, as well as the fact that these videos are sometimes seen as a way to increase sexual potency.
What really struck me though, was the concept that this craze wasn’t simply about men just wanting to experience greater pleasure when it comes to sex, but rather it was about them wanting to feel and exude a grandiose power. Ultimately, men wanted to feel like supermen with all the confidence and strength that such an identity would bring.
It all might seem a bit strange, until you take into consideration the fact that these videos give men a very physical, tangible way to express their own feelings of power and dominance. The penis pump acts as a kind of mirror, allowing them to see their idealized version of themselves in terms of bulging muscles and thick, powerful equipment.
My next thought was that this was a highly co-opted activity, prompted by an urge to show off and to prove oneself as a bodybuilder in at least some small way. Those who make and watch these videos often do so as a form of one-upmanship, whereby only the biggest, strongest, and most impressive man can walk away victorious.
It was here that I began to understand why these videos are so popular. Bodybuilder penis pumps are becoming an increasingly mainstream phenomenon, giving men an outlet for proving their manhood, as well as a way to express their underlying desires.
Entertainingly, it also all ties into the dream of being strong and powerful, a dream that drives a lot of our culture. From watching superheroes in movies to looking up to bodybuilders, we are constantly surrounded by images of strength and power. All of these can have a hauntingly strong influence on us, and the urge to match or outperform those images can be overwhelming at times.
So, it’s fair to say that I got a good insight into the appeal of bodybuilder penis pumps from my experiment. Watching these videos may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but by gaining a deeper understanding of why they’re so popular, at least I can sleep at night knowing that I now have a better appreciation for the concept.